Surgeon s truss



IA l AS sci. E??

ENOCH THOMAS, 0F NEW ATHENS, OHIO.

SURGEONS TRUSS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 1,511, dated March 12, 1840.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ENOCH THOMAS, of the town of New Athens, in the county of Harrison and State' of Ohio, have made a new and useful Improvement called Thomas I-Iernial and Uterine',` Elastic and Spring Supporterfand that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

. The elastic and spring supporter maybe said to consist of 4; parts: 1st, thev-beltg'Q'd, the pads; 3d, the inferior part; 4th, the femoral pads and hip strap.-

lFirst part B: the elastic belt composed one end of eachgiece 4passes through Q'inetal Y' by the leather straps, H, vIVI, which are stitched 'tothe ymain piece B, at D. The buckles B, B, o n the other end of the belt are fastened in the same way.

Second part, the pads: They are 5,n including the hernial pad-1st, the front pad P, the hernial pad; 2d, the pubic pad Y; 3d, the ilium pads I, I, one on each side; 4th, the sacrum pad S, the front pad P.' The hernial ,pad consists of a pad P, vtwo spiral springs C C and two small inguinal'balls B B, resting on the top of the springs C, C. There are 8 small leather loops fastened on the inside of the pad P, Figure 4, 4 0n each end marked on the drawing by a pen and represented by the Fig. 8. The end of the spring which rests on the pad passes under these leather loops by ra single turn o-f the spring` in the hand, so that it may be put in or taken out at pleasure. On the undersurface of the inguinal balls B, B, are eight other small loops marked also 'by the fig. `8-4L on each ball. The balls arey put on the springs by turning the end into one of the loops to the 2d and so on till all are on.l

These small balls may be taken off as well as in the other case. On the outside of the pads P and at each end of the pad is a leather loop I I, under which the belt passes 'in its course forward. These are stitchedto the main :pad P. 'On the front part ofthe v,pad also are two buckles Y Y, suspended by the leather slips Ov O, which are stitchedto the upper 'part of the pad P. Secondi, the pubic pad Y is constructed on the outside with leather loops, V, buckles and leather slips, the same as the hernial pad P, and marked with the same letters. Third, the ilium pads I I, one on each side. There are alsotwo leather loops P P, on the 'outside' of these padsone at each end, under which the belt passes; also a small buckle marked ligure 4C' in the ycenter of each pad suspended by the leather slips 5. Fourth, the

Sacrum pad S has inits center outside two Y metal loops gxgwhich 'are made fast there by other leather loops 6, 6.v The belt passes through these loops as above stated. There are also on the outside' of this pad two buckles E, E, suspended by the leather slips Third part, the inferior portion consisting of several parts: lst, T T, two strapsl of leather half an inch wide, which pass from the perineal pad Q to the Sacrum pad S and F, F, which are stitched to the pad S fat 3. i

buckles Vinto the buckles, E, E,'on -.the same i i' Y pad.Y

VN, N, are two straps, round, lg or 5 inches long, cut an inch wide, edges sewedto'gethe'r stuffed lwith 'wool and covered with black Morocco; H, I-I, two leather straps, `flat, which pass from these last forwardl tothe buckles V V von the front pad into which they are made secure. Next is the perineal pad Q, which consists of a part Q, a vspiral spring, l1, andthe perineal balls 12. The spring is turned into four small loops '7 on the upper surface of the pad Q. The perineal rball V12 is put on the top of the spring in the same way, Viz., by ksmall leather loops on the undersurface of the ball. lThe pad may be taken apart easily. The loops in this pad and ball are not represented in the drawing.V The pad remains stationary Vbetween the leather straps T T, and the round are made fast Vby the buckles l0, 10, andleather straps, 13, 13. There are two `buckles on each of these pads, one on the inside of the thigh, the other on the outside or nearly so, lmarked 14C, 1. These buckles stand nearly perpendicularly to the buckleson the Y front and `ilium pads.

f There are also 4 leathenstraps half an inch wide, two called hip straps andtwo pubic straps, represented' by the number 22, two onzeachside. The hip straps run from the-buckles14 on the v inside of the thigh to thebuckle V on the front pad, one on each' side.

.run from the buckle y14 on the outside of the.A Vthigh'to the buckle 4 onrthe ilium 0pad fone A on eachside.V This completesthe description of the supporter. Y Y Directions for applying md m plcma` The hip straps to/a' o f the principle Wool/beat nl the' appliitV cation of the supporterL-This new'andV useful improvementis especiallydesigned and perfectly adapted to cases of originalhernia eitherin the male or female, Vandis soconstructed as to prevent duringits4 application any protrusion of the intestines throughthe inguinal ring. VIt is also perfectly adapted` i to cases of Prolapsus uterilinl the female.

j the inguinal openings., Thus fixed the beltV is buckled tightV bywhich the springs coil on The supporter is so constructed that it may readily be made larger vor smaller,throi'igh-Y out every partfof it so fas toaccomnio'date any caseJ VThis is ,doneby moving theslides A 'A on the-back `part of the belt, as you may want to make' largeror smaller.; `Its applicationV in a fca'seof inguinal Ahernia made in the followinff-manner: First,the"sa{ crum Apadris fixed in thehollow ofthe Sacrum` which itis to support. The endsof'the belt are brought 4forward, aroundl thejhips -or iliumQ inches below the superior point of the ilium across which the ilium'A pads rest.` ,The ends pass under the leather loopsI I," o ngthe front pad P, orb.7 asV the caseniay be and back as at g. vThe front padis nowfto.-

\ be soadjusted as that the inguinal balls BB 0n-V the ends of the springsC C shall rest against Q' themselves, and consequently permit the balls f of the spring.H lSecond, the; femoral pads are passedar'ound the upper part ofthe'thighand buckle ronthe Vinside of the Vthigh YVso to rest on the face of the pad, by which there: is power given to' the spring, and though the-pad 'shouldbe considerably Vmoved the Vballs still press'hard against :the inguinal openings by the' power of the springs; There may be "also almost any degree of motion' in the pelvis and still the `balls are securedV because there is a rotary motion in the center that the' small Ybuckles on the insideniarked 14 may be perpendicular to the buckle V on the front pad,`one on eachsideV The buckle 14 on 'ptheoutside ofthe thigh, is immedi `ately below the buckle" marked 4, on the center ofthe iliuml pad, one on each side. The pubic straps then pass fromthe buckles Y 14, `on the inside of the thighto the buckles V' on the front pad. The hip straps `pass from the buckles `14 on the outside of the thighto the buckle 4 on the center ofthe ilium pads. The four straps buckled, all is secure. Its application in {prolapsus uteri is the'same, onlythatif it is prolapsus simply the hernial pad will be laid Iaside and `the pad `Y used in its place. If both dis` eases exist in the female at the same time the n padP will be used.-

Y Q y The inferior part which is not used in a case of `hernia (unless `both exist fat the same ytime) fwill be used in Prolapsus uteri inthe j following manner: The leatherstraps T, T,

are secured in the'buckles E E on the sacrum pad S. The other ends will be brought forward betweenf the legs andsecured in the 1 buckleslVl V on `thefront Vpad Y by the leather straps H, In its way forward the perinealfpad Q, isrnade 'to apply to the perineum which itsupports 'by,;.1nearis of the` springwhchfV is fixed in iti. The springis contracted `in the 4application and `hence the erpansive power off the springfis lincreased.`

*The perineum isfraised. -andthefwomb Y Vwedged its naturalwplac'e. -This'spring Vlike the others-possesseslascomplete rotary motion. in 'its center."` Hence'the principle .involved is that of support'inade by `springs and balls,` which springsadniit of "motioni everyfway without `freriio'viiigtheV point support, f TLJ rials are Vneatskirting` leather, cotton wad`` ding, Morocco, drab hat binding, worsted girthing for the'belt' in'hernia, and elastic suspender webbing lin 'cases of .prolapsus uteri, metalbuckles and loops s and steel lspring wire. The pads are madeoutof neat skirtingleather "with the corners cut "olf @and cottonv wadding of a less `size. than .the pad. Over ajllisfa piece .ofMerocco' lining. The

` the edgeslpared 'down,`thenseveral Vfolds -of i edges ofthe lining' and leatherare whipped together with a Vneedle `and. silk twist, then bound around by drab hat binding.` AAll the pads are 'made 1in jthefsaine" way except the hernial padfwhich is fmadewith tw pieces of skirting VandV a` brass 'plate inthe middle. The .edges are made? as'the` others."` The spiral springsare made on two turned balls ofthe shape ofha'lf anegg, with thelsrnall -ends togetheri` i On the ball are groovesV cut s inaspir'al form-these balls are xedon an iron spindle with a crank to it by which-the Vwireis rolled on the `ballsinthe grooves. Thenone of theballsifs takenlof and the spring removed. All the springs are made in the 4same way 4The.perineal'and inguinal balls )are made of several small pieces ofleather` 'ared down, then covered with lcotton line with Morocco andmade as` the others` The roundstraps NIN are vstufed vwith'iwool and covered with Morocco and made'as above stated. .The inferiorjpart of y the supporter is not used in a simple case of hernia. That` part of the specification which refers to the pubic pad Y will be unconstructed and operating as above detlerstood by referring to Fig. 2 in the drawscribed. Y lng.

What I claim in the elastic and spring f ENOCH THOMAS 5 supporter as my own invention is- Witnesses:

The simple combination of the thigh straps WILLIAM ESTEP, for retaining the belt n situ With the belt W. H. MGNARY. 

